The processing time for skilled visas has tripled, fuelling migration pressures and exposing cracks in the Government’s immigration strategy. Dr Abul Rizvi reports.
A significant increase in processing times for the Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482 and formerly subclass 457) has been reported by The Australian, with growing concerns emerging from both the Migration Institute of Australia (MIA) and the Australian Industry Group (AIG).
The data reveals a staggering escalation in processing times, with averages climbing from 16 days in the last half of 2023 to 48 days by the latter half of 2024. This surge was foreseeable due to several factors affecting the immigration landscape.
According to the Department of Home Affairs (DHA):
“In 2023–24, lodgements by primary visa applicants increased by 36 percent from 2022–23. The 45,941 lodgements in the first half of the 2024–25 program year, equating to 72 percent of all lodgements for 2023–24, demonstrates this high level of demand for skilled overseas workers continues.”
This implies that the application rate was burgeoning well before the latest processing timelines were adopted. In fact, current processing durations have reverted to the challenging levels seen under former Opposition Leader Peter Dutton, during his tenure as Minister for Home Affairs when he implemented stringent restrictions on these visas.
The mega-increase in processing times should never have been agreed upon by the DHA without a corresponding increase in resources and strategic guidance regarding the strain it would impose on both the permanent migration agenda and net migration statistics. The targeted processing timelines were unrealistic given the existing backlog of applications for this and various other visa categories.
Evidence of this backlog is striking, as reported: the number of onshore applicants stuck in bridging visa backlog skyrocketed from 3,038 in September 2023 to 24,003 by December 2024.
The surge in onshore application rates can be attributed to multiple factors:
- Reduction of the skilled work experience requirement from two years to one year;
- A series of concessions aimed at specific industries and regional areas;
- The overwhelming number of temporary graduates in Australia (over 200,000) looking to extend their visas.
Currently, there is a record high number of skilled temporary entrants in Australia, rising from 90,737 at the close of 2021 to 204,812 by the end of March 2025. This increase contradicts the Government’s 2023 Migration Strategy, which aims to minimize reliance on temporary migrants in favor of permanent ones.
This surge in skilled temporary entrants is generating significant pressure on the permanent employer-sponsored visa category. Although the Government expanded its allocation for this visa substantially in 2024–25, it will undoubtedly face mounting pressure to increase these figures further in the 2025–26 cycle. This increased demand for placements will be challenging to manage, particularly given the soaring need for partner visas, which the Migration Act mandates to be processed on a demand-driven basis.
The rapid increase in skilled temporary visa holders has also played a crucial role in elevating overall levels of net migration. In 2022–23, skilled temporary entrants contributed a record 43,620 to net migration, with 41,950 recorded for 2023–24. Accelerating the processing of these visa applications could intensify pressures on net migration, even as the Government seeks to mitigate those numbers. Importantly, skilled temporary entrants often migrate with families and require more space compared to students or working holidaymakers.
While efficient processing of skilled temporary entrants is more important now than ever, the MIA and AIG may find their aspirations for expedited processing unmet for the foreseeable future.
Additionally, an uptick in skilled temporary entry poses risks of worker exploitation. The new arrangements designed to combat exploitation will find themselves under scrutiny as pressure mounts on the system.
Dr Abul Rizvi isan Independent Australia columnist and a former Deputy Secretary of the Department of Immigration. You can follow Abul on Twitter @RizviAbul.
Support independent journalism Subscribe to IA.
